Vietnamese. Name of the national sport of Vietnam,
in which players prevent a heavily weighted shuttlecock (fig.) from touching the ground (fig.) by kicking it in the air (fig.)
using any part of their body, except the hands and forearms (fig.), with rules similar to
takraw. Like
the latter, da cau may be played formally on a rectangular court and
over a net, as well as informally, with players standing in a circle (fig.).
In China,
the game is called jian zi. 回

Japanese high priest.
Initially, the Japanese emperors had dual sovereignty, being both
monarchs and sovereign pontiffs under the title of Dairo, and in
fact worshipped by all their subjects as religious leaders, but
after a civil war in 1150 AD, when there were two competitors for
the throne, one assumed the ecclesiastical government, retaining the
title of Dairo, whereas the other became the secular emperor, with
the title Cubo, taking up absolute dominion over all civil and
military affairs, making the latter the real monarch, and the former
his high priest or dairo. From that time on, the dairo has been only
at the head of religious matters. 回

Thai
name for a chrysalis, especially that of a
silkworm, i.e. the
silk pupa (fig.). A chrysalis is the stage in the life of certain insects
that go through a complete metamorphosis, known as holometabolism, and
which follows the larval stage. It is best known and typical for
butterflies, but there are also other insects that go through this
stage, such as certain beetles, flies, ants, fleas, bees, etc. The name
chrysalis derives from the Greek word chrysós (χρυσός), which means
‘gold’ and refers to the metallic
golden colouration found in the pupae of many butterflies. Also called (tua)
mai. These pupae of
silkworms are fit for human consumption and considered a delicacy by
some. In China, they are even sold impaled on skewers at food markets, a
street snack known as zha can yong
(fig.). 回

Sanskrit.
‘Able’, ‘competent’ and ‘intelligent’. Son of Brahma and usually associated with the idea of creative power.
Through his mother's side he is a one of the
Adityas. His consort is Prasuti,
with whom he has thirteen daughters. After some sinful acts in which Daksha
mocked and dishonored a statue of his son-in-law
Shiva, Sati, his daughter and
Shiva's first consort, committed
suicide. This enraged Shiva, who created the ferocious Virabhadra
and Rudrakali from
the locks of his matted hair, called jata.
Together with Bhadrakali (fig.),
who arose from the wrath of Devi,
they set out to wreak mayhem in which Daksha was killed. Shiva,
however, later restored Daksha's life, with the head of a goat. 回

Tibetan.
‘Ocean of Wisdom’. High priest of the Tibetan Buddhists, and from the 17th century AD until 1959
also worldly ruler of Tibet. In Tibetan Buddhism he is considered an incarnation of the
bodhisatvaAvalokitesvara. 回

Malay. ‘Resin’, ‘resin torch’ or
‘torch made from resin’. Name of a sticky substance gained from the
Dipterocarpaceae family of trees, such as the
Taengwood Tree,
usually by tapping them. It has a variety of applications, including
to make torches, as well as paraffin wax used in batik
(fig.).
Also known as dammar gum. 回

Sanskrit-Pali term for the Thai word
tamboon, i.e. the practice of merit
making by giving, especially in religious context, both in
Hinduism and
Buddhism.
Sometimes transcribed dahna and also pronounced daan or dahn. 回

Vietnamese. ‘Gourd string
instrument’. An acoustical instrument,
consisting of a trapezoidal sound box with a single string stretched
lengthwise along the body of the soundboard and a movable bridge with a
wooden handle or tremolo bar with half of a dried gourd, attached to one
end of the sound box, opposite of the tuning peg. The gourd covers the
handle at the very point where the string is attached and contributes to
the amplification of the sound volume of the instrument. Originally, its
was made up from the top half of a bottle gourd,
though nowadays, the gourd is usually replaced with a more durable
turned, wooden, bell-shaped cup. In Vietnamese the word bau (bầu) means
‘gourd’,
hence the instrument's name. The soundboard is made from
bamboo or softwood usually with hardwood flanks, whilst the
handle is made of wood, and the string and tuning peg of steel, though in the past a silk string was used
and the tuning peg was formerly made of
bamboo or wood. The dan bau is usually tuned to the note C and is played
by plucking the string, whilst touching it lightly with the side
of the hand. By moving the tremolo
bar, the tension of the string can be varied, causing the pitch to rise
or fall. In the same way, a note may be lengthened or shortened and subtle glissandi sounds can be produced by plucking the
string, whilst pulling the whammy bar. It is sometimes used to study
musical tones. Also called dan doc huyen (đàn độc huyền) and doc huyen
cam (độc huyền cầm), and in English referred to as monochord, a word
derived from the Greek word monochordos (μονόχορδος), meaning
‘one string’. The dan bau is quite similar
to the du xian qin (独弦琴), found in southern China,
yet it is of purely Vietnamese origin. 回

Common designation for a tropical
plant or shrub found in South, East and Southeast Asia, that –like
Mimosa pudica (fig.)
and the carnivorous Venus Flytrap– is capable of rapid movement, i.e.
movement that is visible with the naked eye. However, rather than being
moved by sunlight or on contact, the movement of its small, linear leaves
is triggered by sound. And so, when exposed to music, it will move its
leaflets in concert, seemingly making them dance, hence the name. This
plant produces small, purple flowers, and reproduces using seeds. It has
the botanical names Desmodium gyrans, Codariocalyx motorius, Hedysarum
motorius and Meibomia gyrans, among a few others, and is also commonly
known as Telegraph Plant and Semaphore Plant, referring to the movement
of the leaves, which is reminiscent to the movement of the adjustable
paddles of the semaphore telegraph. In Thai it is referred to as choy
nang ram (ªéÍÂ¹Ò§ÃÓ). 回

Sanskrit.
‘Rod-bearer’ or ‘wielder
of the sceptre’. A name given to Yama, the god of death.
Interestingly, the word danda (दण्ड),
also means
‘punishment’ and as such the name can also be translated as ‘he who
exerts punishment’. 回

Sandstone mountain range on the border of Cambodia
and Thailand, which ends dramatically on a cliff
overhanging the Cambodian plains. Here the ancient Khmer temple Khao Phra Wihaan is situated at a height of 657 meters above sea
level. The mountain range also features ancient Khmer rock carvings and near Surin province
it houses the Prasat Ta
Meuan temples. In Thai the mountain range is referred to as Phu
Khao Phanom Dongrek.
See
MAP.回

Name of an ethnic minority groupof Tibeto-Burmese
descent, living in Myanmar (fig.),
i.e. mainly in the area near the Pindaya Caves (fig.)
in southern Shan State.
There are currently an estimated 100,000 people belonging to this tribe,
and they are listed as a subgroup of the Bamar. The name Danu derives
from the word donake, which translates as 'brave archers', and is hence
related to the Thai word Thanu (¸¹Ù), which means ‘bow and arrow’. It is
said that in the 16th century the Danu were archers in the army of King
Alaungpaya, and settled in the Pindaya area after they returned from
wars in Thailand. Today, they are a agricultural people (fig.) and speak
Burmese, with a slightly different accent, described as an archaic
dialect of Burmese, and usually wear Burmese costume, though on special
occasions they might wear traditional
Shan-style dress (fig.). 回

Name
for the Yao people
in Vietnam, one of the 54 ethnic groups officially recognized by the
Vietnamese government, and which are also known as Mien. Many speak the
Iu
Mien language, while others
speak other languages and dialects. With a population of just under half
a million, the Dao (pronounced Dzao) are the 9th largest ethnic group in Vietnam, with
several subgroups. In
Vietnam, thefemale traditional
attire is indigo or black, with colourful embroidery, which like
the headdress, differs in each of the subgroups, with a great
diversity across Northern Vietnam. For example, the Red Dao in
Sapa wear a black loose pair of trousers, that is richly embroidered
with flower or star-like patterns,
and a
blackjacket trimmed with embroidery,
whilst on the head they wear a red turban-like piece of cloth, whereas
the Dao of other subgroups and in other regions may wear a less
colourful or much simpler outfit, with a different kind of headdress,
which usually is either predominantly red or black, whilst the heads of
the Dao Dau Troc women from the Lang Son and Thai Nguyen regions is
completely shaven and covered by a distinctive bonnet in mostly indigo
and red. In Vietnamese usually referred to as nguoi Dao (người Dao). 回

Thai. ‘Celestial body per
day’. System
in Thailand in which each day of the week corresponds with a certain planet,
moon or sun, that is, the Sun for Sunday, the Moon for Monday, Mars for Tuesday,
Mercury for Wednesday, Jupiter for Thursday, Venus for Friday and Saturn for
Saturday. In Thai planets are often named after these days, e.g. Venus is
‘Dao Phra Suk’ and Friday is called ‘Wan Suk’. See also wan tua, thep
prajam wan,Phra prajam wan, sat
prajam wan and sih prajam wan. 回

Thai. ‘Glowing star’. Name for an ornamental plant
that can grow up to one meter tall and with the botanical name Tagetes erecta. It bears
globular orange flowers, though also other cultivars, such
as plants with yellow flowers, exist. The plant originates from Central
America and is commonly known as Mexican marigold, though it is also
referred to as Aztec marigold and occasionally it may even be called African marigold. The plant
is cultivated commercially for multiple purposes, including medicinal
use, and in Indian culture the flowers are widely used in the making of
garlands (fig.), both for decorative and ceremonial purposes (fig.). 回

Thai. Name of a royal consort of
King Chulalongkorn.
She was the daughter of King Phra Chao Inthawichayanon
(¾ÃÐà¨éÒÍÔ¹·ÇÔªÂÒ¹¹·ì) of Lan Na,
during the time that it was still an independent state. In 1883, amidst
rumours that Queen Victoria wanted to adopt the princess in a British
attempt to take over the Kingdom of Lan Na, Rama V
proposed an engagement to Dara Rasami, to become his concubine. Hence,
in 1886, she left Chiang Mai
to enter the Grand Palace
in Bangkok,
where she lived for 23 years, until the king's death, after which she
returned to her hometown in Chiang Mai, where she remained for the rest
of her life. Being a supporter of rose cultivation, with a great
affection for English roses, she was one day given a big hybrid, a
thorn-free pink rose with a soothing scent. This rose became her
favourite and she started to cultivate them in the
garden of her palace, naming it Chulalongkorn Rose (fig.),
after her late husband, who was born on a Tuesday, that
has pink as its colour according to the sih prajam wan
system. The princess was born
on 26 August 1873 and died on 9 December 1933. Her full name and title
is Chao Dara Radsami Phra
Ratcha Chaya (à¨éÒ´ÒÃÒÃÑÈÁÕ ¾ÃÐÃÒªªÒÂÒ),
and she is also referred to as Princess of Chiang Mai. See also daraand radsami.
Also transliterated dara ratsami. 回

Common name for species of butterfly, with the scientific name Melanitis
phedima and of which there are several subspecies, including Sahyadri
Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima varaha), Satpuda Dark Evening
Brown (Melanitis phedima bethami), West Himalayan Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis
phedima galkissa), Bengal Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima bela),
Myanmarese Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima ganapati), and the
Formosa or Japanese Dark Evening Brown (Melanitis phedima oitensis).
Though the underwings are often dark, varying from a greyish-brown to
amber-orange (fig.) or purplish-chocolate ground-colour
with a number of usually whitish ocelli, colouring, shades and patterns of the wings
do vary substantially per species and some are actually paler (fig.),
whilst others are reminiscent of certain darker wet-season forms of the
Common Evening Brown(fig.).
Several of the above mentioned (generally female) subspecies have a
dark, blackish spot, located centrally on the underside of the hindwing. In Thai, the Dark Evening Brown is known as
phi seua
sahyan sih tahn mai
(¼ÕàÊ×éÍÊÒÂÑ³ËìÊÕµÒÅäËÁé), i.e. ‘burned brown
evening butterfly’. 回

Common name for a rare species of passerine bird in the thrush family,
with the scientific designation Turdus ruficollis, and of which there
exist two races, i.e. Turdus ruficollis atrogularis, which is commonly
known as
Black-throated Thrush (fig.),
and Turdus ruficollis ruficollis, which is commonly referred to as
Red-throated Thrush.
These large thrushes have a plain grey back and rufous-buff underwings, with
the male adult of the race Turdus ruficollis atrogularis having a black
throat and upper breast, often speckled, whilst the male adult of the
race Turdus ruficollis ruficollis has a brick-red throat and upper
breast, and rufous colouring in the tail. Females and young birds lack
the identifying bib of adult males, with females of the race Turdus
ruficollis atrogularis having a black-streaked side-throat, and black
scaled mottling on the upper breast, whereas females of the race Turdus
ruficollis ruficollis have dark streaks on the side of the throat and on
the chestnut upper breast, as well as a whitish submoustachial. The bill
of both races is pale yellowish, with a dark tip. In Thai, this species
is generally known as
nok deun dong kho khem, whereas the two
races may be specified as
nok deun dong kho dam for Turdus
ruficollis atrogularis, and nok deun dong kho daeng,
for Turdus ruficollis ruficollis. 回

1. Sanskrit. Name of a demon,
also known as Darukasura, i.e. the asura
Daruka, used a boon
given by
Brahmato torment the world. When the
suffering became unbearable,
Shivacreated Bhadrakali
(fig.)
from his third eye
and she killed the demon. 回

2. Sanskrit. The charioteer and companion of Krishna,
who attended him in his final days. 回

Hindustani-Hindi. ‘Door’ or
‘gateway’. The word is the same in Kashmiri and Urdu where it is written in Nastaliq
script, rather than the Devanagari script of Hindustani and Hindi.
In Sanskrit it is known as douar, dwar or dvar and in Urdu it is
also known as darwaazeh. Compare with dvarapala. 回

Punjabi. Name for the compulsory turban worn by Sikh, often
over a patka, a
scarf-like single
piece of cloth or
under-turban
(fig.).
It is sometimes transliterated dastaar and may also
be referred to by its Hindi
name pagri.
回

Tibetan. ‘Crown’ or ‘head ornament’.
Name for the Buddhist Ritual
Crown, i.e. a ritual five-part crown
worn by senior monks and lamas in some sects of
Vajrayana Buddhism, especially in Lamaism,
though occasionally also in other
Mahayanasects in China
and Vietnam (fig.), and used during
certain religious ceremonies or rituals, such as abhisheka,
i.e. unction or anointment rituals used
in Tantrism,
amongst others. This diadem-like ornament is made up of five sections,
each containing a depiction of one of the five dhyani buddhas or the Sanskrit syllables that correspond
with their names and represent their essence.
Each section has an arched top and consists of a thin gilded metal panel,
and are attached to each other with a red ribbon or cord. When on the head, the crown's shape is
reminiscent to that of an open lotus
flower (fig.).
It is usually worn together with a royal topknot, i.e. a stitched fabric
hu luor nahm tao-shaped
topknot (fig.).
While wearing the crown (fig.),
the lama or monk visualizes himself as the actual deity he is invoking.
A similar
crown is also used by monks of the Bön
religion
(fig.),
but normally without the
royal topknot and
often with slightly different
depictions, which are often painted in vivid colours. Bön crowns
may also have five buddhas, but those are generally depicted with their personal mount or
vahana.
However, today the Tibetan and
Bön religions are very similar and have all but
assimilated into each other, making distinctions in dress less more
obvious. In
MahayanaBuddhist
art and
iconography,
the dbu rgyan is often seen on the heads of important monks or deities,
such as the Four Heavenly Kings
(fig.),
Tripitaka(fig.),
etc. It may occasionally have other depictions than the five
transcendental buddhas or their Sanskrit corresponding syllables, such
as the Chinese character Fo(佛), which is
Mandarin for
‘Buddha’.
回

Of this four-hoofed grazing
animal in the family Cervidae, of which males usually have antlers, there are seven species found in Thailand, i.e.
Burmese Brow-antlered Deer (fig.),
Siamese
Brow-antlered Deer (fig.),
Hog Deer (fig.),
Sambar Deer (fig.),
Schomburgk's Deer and two kinds of
Barking Deer (fig.),
i.e. Common Barking Deer and Fea's Barking Deer. Species can best be
distinguished by their size, colouration and the shape and size of
the male's antlers (fig.).
When represented in Buddhist art (fig.),deer usually refer to
Mrigadava,
the deer park where the
Buddhadelivered his first sermon, and in Myanmar,
deer hide is used by gold beaters (fig.)
as a wrapper in
the production of
gold leaf(fig.),
used mostly as a Buddhist religious offering. In
mythology, it is the mount of
Phra Phareuhadsabodih,
the god of Thursday (fig.),
and of
Ajita, one of the eighteen
arahats(fig.). In Thai,
deer are either called
kwahng or
mareuk (for males) and
mareuki
(for females). In Chinese, a deer is known as lu (鹿) and is a symbol
for longevity, as well as a homonym for good fortune (祿). In South
China
it is pronounced liu, the same as the number six (六), which
refers to heaven, earth and the four directions. 回

Thai. ‘Temple kid’. Term for young boys that live
on the premises of a Thai temple and do minor household jobs for the
monks and novices. In the past, the reason for becoming a temple kid
was mainly to obtain a basic education, as it was often the only
form of schooling available to upcountry peasants and it even used
to be an obligatory requirement for attaining any higher education.
Since the creation of the governmental school system the number of
dek wat has declined sharply. Temple kids are traditionally no
younger than eight years old and many of them are later ordained as
novices. They can often be seen at the rear end of a row of monks
and novices that are on alms begging round, to help carry the
surplus of collected food offerings. 回

Monument in Bangkok commemorating the change from an
absolute to a constitutional monarchy in 1932. It was completed on 22 June 1940
but officially inaugurated two days later, on the same day as Victory Monument and on
the eight actual anniversary date of the event of 24 June 1932,
when the governmental system
changed.
This date is symbolized in the height of the four wings and the radius of
the monument (each 24 meters) whilst the year, namely 2475 BE (1932 AD) can be
derived from the 75 cannons surrounding the memorial. The bas-reliefs on
the lower part of the four wings illustrate the history of the Civilian Party
whilst marking the change in governmental system. At the centre is a dome
pedestal with a phaan holding the Thai Constitution (fig.). This gold coloured
part is three meters high, a reference to the third month of the
traditional Thai calendar, i.e. June (the Thai new year, called ‘songkraan’,
is in April). The six swords on the gates of the pedestal represent the six policies of the Civilian Party, namely Independence, Peace, Equality,
Freedom, Economy and Education. In Thai, Anusawarih Prachathipatai.See POSTAGE STAMP (1),(2),
MAP,
QUADCOPTER PICTURE
and
TRAVEL PICTURES.MORE ON HISTORY.
回

Common name for a species of crane,
with the scientific designations Grus virgo and Anthropoides virgo. They
have a mostly blackish head and head-sides, with long black feathers on
the lower neck and breast. They have a grey crown, that runs centrally
to the back of the nape, where it joins with the long white post-ocular
tufts. Otherwise, they are mostly pale grey, apart from black under-tail
feathers. Their eyes are reddish-brown, the bill is pale with dark grey
at the base, and their legs and feet are greyish-black. To escape the
cold winters in China,
Demoiselle Cranes fly some 3,000 kilometers non-stop in seven days,
crossing the
Himalayas into India, where
around 9,000 birds will stay for 6 months, many of them wintering in the
Thar Dessert. In Thai, this bird is
known as nok krarian
lek.回

West Indian Spanish from Swahili. Name of an infectious
tropical viral fever transmitted by mosquitoes and characterized by severe pain
in the joints and muscular pains. Symptoms also include a high fever. Dengue is
also known as dengue fever and by the epithet break-bone fever. To counter
the spread of the disease, that has no vaccine nor a real cure, the
government fights the problem at its source, i.e. by attacking the
mosquitoes. They do this with a public
information and warning campaign, as well as by destroying the
mosquitoes and their larvae by spraying toxic fume. Since it are
only the females that bite, scientists are considering releasing
male genetically modified mosquitoes in the wild, which are
programmed to suppress the females, i.e. when GM males mate with
females, the latter would automatically die as a consequence. In Thai it is called khai sah. See also haemorrhagic fever
and malaria. 回

Common name for a showy flowering plant (fig.), with the botanical name Adenium
obesumin. Though this evergreen originates from the Middle East and the
regions of northern Africa, it is also commonly found in Southeast Asia,
where it is used in penjing (fig.)
and
as a popular houseplant. It has a swollen basal stem, which in botanical
jargon is known as a caudex; clustered leathery leaves, that are
arranged spirally; and variously pink to red, funnel-shaped flowers,
with a whitish blush at the centre, that may extend outwardly on the
petals (fig.). It has a toxic milky sap which in certain places in Africa is
used as an arrow poison for hunting. It belongs to the family Apocynaceae, which also includes the Plumeria or frangipani.
In Thai, this plant is called
chuan chom, which literally means ‘to
invite admiration’ and ‘attractive’. In English, this plant is
also known with a variety of other common names, including Impala Lily and Sabi
Star, among others.回

Thai name for a plant of the genus
Coixlachrymajob,
of the family Gramineae. It has white seeds, called Job's tears, which are gained from its hard flower buds and
are edible (fig.).
It is an important economical crop in the province of Loei. In English known as tear grass. Also ton deuay.
回

Sanskrit. ‘Deity’. In Buddhism, the term refers to a superhuman
being or god of an undetermined rank. They are believed to
be thirty three in number, eleven for each of the three worlds of Buddhist
cosmology. In Hinduism, it refers to any
god or benevolent supernatural being. However, the term is
etymologically related to the Persian word daeva as appears in
the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, where it refers to ‘wrong
gods’ or ‘false gods’, i.e. ‘gods that are to be rejected’. 回

Sanskrit.
Name of a son of King Suppabuddha and his wife Pamita, who was an
aunt of Siddhartha. Since he was also the brother of
Yashodhara, he was both a
cousin and brother-in-law of the
Buddha. He was an evil monk who,
unable to attain any stage of sainthood, became
jealous and plotted to harm the Buddha. He first attempted to kill the
Buddha by hiring a man to kill him. The murderer would than be
killed by two other men, who in turn would be killed by four other
men, who finally would be killed by eight other men. But the cunning
plan failed as all the murderers, upon coming close to the Blessed
One, scared out and took refuge in him. Devadatta then tried to kill
the Buddha himself by hurling a huge stone at him, during a climb on
Vulture's Rock, but the Buddha got only hurt on his foot. In his
third attempt, Devadatta made a fierce
man-killer elephant, known as
Nalagiri, drunk with toddy and set it loose to charge the
Buddha, who though calmed the elephant by radiating his loving
kindness. Devadatta eventually died failing in his wicked plan and
sincerely regretting his wrongful actions. 回

Sanskrit. Literally ‘divine city’,
a term derived from the words deva and nagara. It is
the name
for the alphabet used to write different languages of the Indian
subcontinent, including Hindi,
Sanskrit, Pali, etc. Its script is
recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line that runs along the top of
the letters, linking them together. It is written from left to right
using an abugida writing system in which each letter represents a
consonant that carries the inherent vowel ‘a’, whilst all other vowels,
or the absence of vowels, require either modification of these
consonants or have their own symbol. Also called simply Nagari. See also
DEVANAGARI SCRIPT. 回

Sanskrit.
‘King of the gods’. A title often applied to both Indra and the Buddha. In
Java and Cambodia, a cult of devaraja developed that claimed the king was
an emanation of a god and would be reunited with that god after death. 回

Nepali name
for a type of brimless hat (topi),
which is part of the Nepalese national dress (fig.). It is named after the type of design and
fabric it is made of, i.e. Dhaka, which in turn is named after the
capital of Bangladesh, where the typical design of the print originated
from. Also known as Nepali topi.回

Pali-Thai. The term can be translated as
‘right principles’, ‘scruples’, ‘rectitude’, ‘law’, ‘truth’, ‘reality’ or
‘righteousness’. In Theravada Buddhism, it refers to the teachings
of the Buddha as
found in the Tripitaka. It is part of the Trairat, together with the
historical
Buddha and the Sangha.
It is often transcribed with a capital letter and in Sanskrit spelled dharma. In Thai tam,
but when it refers to the Pali word it is pronounced thamma,
and when on it own often as dham or tham,
as in Sala
Dham (fig.). The Sanskrit term dharma is sometimes translated as ‘cosmic order’. 回

1. Pali. Buddhist ‘Wheel
of Law’ (fig.) that symbolizes the ongoing cycle of cause and effect in ones life, known as kam (karma) and resulting in
perpetual reincarnation. This cycle can only be broken by reaching nipphaan (nirvana). The
‘Wheel of Law’ also symbolizes the Buddha's first sermon held in the deer park at Sarnath, setting in motion his philosophy.
The turning of the wheel symbolizes the teachings of the Buddha which are spread
endlessly, and if portrayed with eight spokes it symbolizes the Eightfold
Path.
If portrayed with twenty-four spokes, as in the
Asoka pillar (fig.), it represents
the hours in a day. In art sometimes depicted with the presence of one
(fig.) or more deer
(fig.),
and in Thailand it stands centrally on the Buddhist flag
(fig.).
The dhammachakka
is the idiosyncratic mark of
Yama, the Vedic god of death,
who
wears it as an ornament on his breast (fig.).
In Sanskrit,
the language of MahayanaBuddhism,
the dhammachakka is
known as dharmachakra
(fig.)
and takes a somewhat different form than the
dhammachakka in Theravada
Buddhism, i.e. at the outer edge at the end of each of the eight spokes, is often a lotusbud, or another ornament, such
as a wishing gem, sometimes even in
groups of three at ends of the horizontal and vertical spokes,
making the shape of the Mahayana dharmachakra reminiscent to that of
a ship's wheel.
At the centre of the wheel is often an ananda-chakra
(fig.).
It is one of the eight auspicious symbols or
Ashtamangala
and is sometimes called the Wheel of Life. 回

2. Pali. A mudra meaning the
‘turning of the Wheel
of Law’, at which the Buddha'sthumb and forefinger
of either hand form a circle, with the remaining fingers curving outward.
Often, the middle finger of one hand is left stretched upward, while the other
fingers are slightly curved, which refers to the Buddhist
Middle Path. A
similar variant is known as vitarka,
i.e. ‘exposition’, in which one or two hands are held up forward. Both mudras refer to the Buddha's
first public discourse on Buddhist doctrine given to five ascetics or panjawakkih in a deer park in Sarnath, India. In iconography, often depicted in combination with the
‘Wheel of Law’ (fig.).
However, artists and sculptorsnot always
strictly follow the iconographic rules and hence over time and
through space,
sometimes inconsistencies in the hand and finger positions as
described above, may occur (fig.). If two hands are used, then the thumb and index finger of one
hand form a full circle, i.e. with the thumb and index finger touching
one another, whilst the thumb and middle finger of the other hand form an
open circle, i.e. with the thumb and middle finger not touching, whilst all the other fingers of both hands point upward.
Whereas the three fingers represent ignorance, greed, and anger,
the circle represents samsara,
i.e. the perpetual cycles of birth,
aging, death and rebirth,
accompanied by suffering.
In such case, the hand with the closed circle explains that one cannot break the
perpetual cycles of birth,
aging, death and rebirth if one still is attached to those three
evils, i.e. ignorance, greed, and anger, whilst the hand
with the open circle means that one can break out of samsara, once one is free of these three evils, which can
be done by following the Buddhist Middle Path,
i.e. the path of no
extremes, avoiding emptiness and an acceptance of things as they
are, which in Buddhist iconographyis often, as in
this mudra,
represented by the use of the middle finger. In Sanskrit,
known as dharmachakra. 回

Pali. ‘Righteous monarch’. Buddhist ideology of classical kingship in
which the selfless king (racha)
who, though being a powerful world ruler (chakravartin),
governs justly by the right principles of the
Buddhist code (dhamma).
To do so, he must uphold ten kingly virtues, i.e. (in Pali) dana (generosity, charity); sila (morality, a high moral
character); pariccaga (sacrifice everything for the good of the people); ajjava (honesty and integrity); maddava (kindness and gentleness); tapa
(restraint, austerity in habits); akkadha (avoidance of and freedom from
hatred, ill-will, enmity); avihimsa or
ahimsa (non-violence); khanti (patience, forbearance,
tolerance, understanding); and avirodha (conciliation, non-opposition,
non-obstruction). Those are akin to the ten merits or
totsabarami
which the Buddhaembodied before attaining Enlightenment. Also transcribed dhammaraja
and in Thai thammaracha (¸ÃÃÁÃÒªÒ). See also POSTAGE STAMP. 回

Burmese. Another name
for
Dhammayazika Phaya, using the noun Zedirather than Phaya,
yet both referring to a pagoda or
stupa,
though these two designations may in Burmese also refer to both the
tower-shaped structure itself, as well as the entire temple complex. 回

Sanskrit-Pali. ‘Wealth Protector’, but in Sanskrit also ‘Begging Bowl
Receptacle’. Another name for the elephant
Nalagiri, that attacked the Buddha when he was on alms round and
hence carried an alms bowl (fig.).
回

Sanskrit. Goddess of the earth, who witnessed the accumulated merits
of the Buddha, during his confrontation with
Mara, just before his
Enlightenment. In Thailand known as
Mae Phra Thoranee.
In Thai, the name Dharani is pronounced Thoranee
and refers to the personification of the earth. The word dharani is
related to the Sanskrit root dhR (धृ),
which means ‘to hold’ or ‘to
maintain’. As such,
Dharani is sometimes interpreted as ‘one
that is sustained by earth’.
Also transcribed
Dharanee or Dharanih,
and sometimes called Brah Dharani.
回

Sanskrit.
The word dharani
derives from the Sanskrit root dhR (धृ),
which means ‘to hold’ or ‘to
maintain’, and literally translates as ‘that which supports’.
It is a collection of sacred formulas, a type of ritual speech similar
to mantras. They are considered to protect the
one who chants them from harmful influences and misfortune. Also
transcribed dharanee, dharanih, dhaaranee or dhaarani. 回

Sanskrit for dhamma, i.e.
the teachings of the Buddha
in Theravada Buddhism,
and sometimes translated as ‘cosmic order’. In Hinduism,
Dharma is the god of virtue, justice and morality, as well as of
politics. In the Mahabharata
episode on the Pandava
Tribe,
this deity is associated with
(or known as) the god Yama,
the Vedic god of death, where he is
the the heavenly father of
Yudhishthira
with Kunti.
回

Sanskrit. ‘Banner
pillar’.
Name for a kind of flag-mast of a deity in an
Indian temple, used during festivities, when it is decorated with
different types of flags to commemorate and celebrate that particular
event (fig.), and said to be a spiritual medium between heaven and earth. It is
a very common feature in most of the Indian temples, erected in a
straight line from the main deity, just before the
vahana of that deity, which is
also in the same axial line. This tall, post-like structure is usually
made of metal, or of stone with a metal covering, and has three
horizontal boards and three vertical bars at the top. It is also
associated with the Royal Banner or victory banner, one of the Ashtamangala,which symbolizes charity and the incorruptible official, as well as the
Buddha's victory over
Mara, known as
maravichaya, with Tibetan tradition
having eleven different forms of this banner, representing the eleven
levels of the World of Desire.
Also transliterated dhvaja stambha.
回

Sanskrit.
‘Concentration’. A commonly
seen mudra signifying
‘meditation’ with the Buddhaseated in half or
full lotus position with both hands resting on his lap, palms up and the right
hand on top. In the Phra prajam wan system
this Buddha image correspondents with Thursday. Also called
samaddhi.
回

Sanskrit. According to Mahayana Buddhism there are five
transcendental buddhas,
four for the
main directions and one for the zenith. They are often shown on
mandalas and are usually
portrayed seated in
meditation, the most popular being Amitabha,
the buddha of the western paradise, who in mandalas has a red complexion
(fig.)
and either performs a
dhyanamudra
or holds a lotus. The others are
Vairochana (fig.), the principal buddha,
who is white, may hold a wheel and is placed in centre of the other
four dhyani buddhas;
Akshobhya, the buddha of the East, who has a
blue complexion (fig.),
may hold a vajra or scepter, and whom is sometimes
confused with Bhaisajyaguru,
the Medicine Buddha (fig.);
Ratnasambhava, the transcendental
buddha of the southern universe, who has a yellow or golden
complexion (fig.),
performs a varadamudra, and
on mandalas may hold a chintamani jewel; and
Amoghasiddhi,
the buddha of the North, who has a green complexion (fig.),
is seated whilst performing an
abhayamudra with his right
hand, and on mandalas usually holds a
visvavajra, i.e.
a double vajra (fig.).
回

Hindi-Sanskrit. One of the two important sects of
Jainism,
whose followers consist of only males and whom live their lives
completely naked, whereas male disciples of the other sect, called Svetambara,
do wear at least a loincloth. The latter sect may also include
females devotees.
回

Thai for ‘tin’, a metal of which
Asia is the biggest producer in the world, with forerunners in Southeast
Asia being
Malaysia,
Indonesia and Thailand,
where it is found especially in southern Thailand. A tin mine features
on the provincial emblem of Phang Nga(fig.),
as well as on a postage stamp issued in 1969 promotion tin export from
Thailand (fig.),
whilst quarry-men mining for
tinare depicted on the emblem
of Yala (fig.)
and on a Thai postage stamp issued in 2012 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Ranong
(fig.).
Though since the eighties, tin production declined dramatically,
Thailand still has an estimated reserve of about 170,000 tonnes. Tin
toys, which were publicized on a set of six Thai postage stamps issued
in 2010, are in Thai known as khong len dihbook (¢Í§àÅè¹´ÕºØ¡), but are
usually referred to as khong len sangkasih (¢Í§àÅè¹ÊÑ§¡ÐÊÕ), i.e. ‘zinc
toys’ (fig.),
of which each item is usually described more specifically according to
its kind, e.g.
reua sangkasih, i.e. ‘zinc boats’,
which are in Thai also called reua pokpaek (fig.);
wind-up toys, such as animals, called sat lomkheun sangkasih
(fig.),
and tricycle boys, known as dek
saamloh sangkasih (fig.); etc. Also
transcribed deebook or deebuk. 回

Sanskrit. One of the eight listed guardians of the main and intermediate
directions of the sky, who protect the world from demons. They are often
depicted on Hindu temples facing different directions. Four dikpalas are
guarding the cardinal points and another four the intermediate directions. 回

Chinese-Thai. Name for round chunks of a soft bread-like
steamed dough filled with either savory or sweetmeat. They are made from wheat
flower and are traditionally steamed in small round bamboo
baskets called kheng (fig.).
Often spelled dim sum and in Thai called sala pao.
回

Vietnamese. Village communal house composed
of two parallel wings and often decorated with a
dragon, unicorn,
phoenix and
tortoise, the four animals
from Chinese paradise, associated with happiness,
though those might also consist of a tortoise,dragon,hongseor(red) phoenix, and a (white) tiger. The dinh is where
the guardian spirit of the village resides, and is a place of private worship as
well as public ceremonies. In some ways it can be compared with the Thai
sahn lak
meuang. 回

Vietnamese-Chinese. ‘First Dinh
Emperor’. Posthumous name for the first Vietnamese emperor
Dinh Bo Lin,
used after his death and deification. In this name a temple in
Hoa Lu,
near Truong Yen Thuong village in Ninh Binh Province,
is dedicated to this emperor. The city of Ninh
Binh also has a large bronze statue of this emperor (map
- fig.).
See
MAP. 回

Thai.
‘Japanese clay’. A colourful sticky substance that is
capable of being moulded. It is similar to wet clay but remains flexible after
hardening. In Thailand it is used in particular to mould ornamental imitation
flowers (fig.)
and miniature daily life utensils and foodstuffs (fig.),
especially fruit (fig.).
回

Sanskrit for ‘light’ or ‘lamp’, especially an oil lamp made from clay, with a
cotton wick dipped in vegetable oils, or in Indian clarified butter known as ghee,
which reminds of the Tibetan butter lamp that was traditionally fueled
with clarified yak butter. These clay oil lamps, similar to the northern Thai
phaang pha
theed
(fig.),
are widely used in Hindu temples, often together
or in combination with larger, ornamental oil lamps
made of brass (fig.), and during special Hindu festivals, such as Dipavali,
which is commonly known as the Festival of Lights. Lights play an
important part in Hindu rituals, such as in Aarti (fig.),
a term that derives
from the Sanskrit word Aratrika (आरात्रिक),
which means ‘something that removes
ratri (darkness)’,
and in the course of time they became
associated with the goddess Lakshmi. A special kind of lamp
called dipa-Lakshmi shows the goddess in a standing pose and holding a
lamp with one wick. There are also other types of lamps showing either
Laksmi or Gaja Lakshmi,
and lamps with five wicks are used in Shaiva worship as the number five
is the is sacred to
Shiva.
Another kind of lamp used as a stand, has the image of a peacock, the
mount of Sarasvati,
the goddess of
learning (who
enlightens the mind), and yet another lamp used in Hindu rituals has the form of a tree and is called
dipavriksha,
which means ‘tree of lamps’
(fig.).
The latter may also bear depictions of a deity, such as
Ganesha
(fig.).
This is reminiscent of
Burmese
Arakan-style bronze oil lamps (fig.),
that depict Dipankhara (fig.),
the first of 27 buddha
predecessors and whose
name means ‘Lamp bearer’,
holding a small oil receptacle (fig.). Sometimes transcribed deepa, as in
deepastambha.
See also
Dipavali. 回

Sanskrit-Thai.
‘Lamp bearer’ (fig.).
The first of 27 buddhapredecessors, who pledges to
the ascetic BrahmanSumedha
(fig.), that he will one day become a buddha
(fig.). Sumedha was an former incarnation of
SiddharthaGautama,
who later became the historical Buddha.
Sometimes transcribed Dipankara and also known as Dipankha.
In Burmese-Arakan art and iconography,
he is often represented as an oil lamp (fig.),
i.e. standing upright while holding a small oil receptacle (fig.). See also Sumidha. 回

Hindi. ‘Row of lamps’. Indian Festival of Lights,
i.e. a 5-day festival celebrated in
Hinduism
and Jainism,
as well as by the
Sikh, between mid-October
and mid-November. It celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, i.e.
good over evil, yet has different signification for each of the
aforementioned religions. In Hinduism, it commemorates the return of
Rama from his 14-year long exile,
and his triumph over the demon Ravana, while in Jainism it
marks the attainment of mokshaby
Mahavira, whereas in Sikhism, it celebrates the release from
prison of the sixth guru. Also known as Diwali (Divali). See also
Vijayadazaami and
dipa.
回

Sanskrit-Hindi. ‘Tree of lamps’, ‘tree of lights’, or ‘tree
lamp’.
Lamp in the form of a tree and used by
brahminpriests in Hindurituals (fig.).
When used decoratively, it may sometimes bear depictions of a Hindu
deity
(fig.). Also transcribed deepavriksha.
回

Latin-English name for an evergreen tree with a large
straight trunk and which flowering season is from March to May. Its seeds have
two wings which enables them to whirl down like helicopters. In North Thailand
often seen on the side of the road. In Thai phluang. Also
Dipterocarpus alatus. 回

Name
of a museum in
Bangkok, which opened its doors in the
first half of 2008, after 5 years of preparations. It is housed in an
ancient building in Italian architectural style, which formerly
accommodated the Thai Ministry of Commerce. Visitors to the museum
embark on a journey through time from early
Suvarnabhumi and
Siam to present-day
Thailand,
covering every field and time period, including people, history,
religion, war, agriculture, trade, politics, technology, etc. The
account of Thailand is given with the aid of displays, diaphragms, scale
models and P. Learning, a system of play and learn (fig.).
In Thai, the museum is called Phiphithaphan Kaanrianroo Haeng Chaht (¾Ô¾Ô¸ÀÑ³±ì¡ÒÃàÃÕÂ¹ÃÙéáËè§ªÒµÔ),
though it later became also known as Museum Siam
(ÁÔÇà«ÕÂÁÊÂÒÁ). See MAP.
回

Annual event held in the province of Phetchabun on the 15th day of the waning moon in the 10th lunar month and in which the
highly revered ancient Phra Phutta Maha Dhamma Racha Buddha image of Phetchabun
is taken to the Pa Sak river to be immersed in the water for ritual bathing. The
image was found in the Pa Sak river by a group of farmers about four hundred
years ago and was taken to be housed in Wat Trai Phum. According to a legend the
Buddha image had disappeared twice from the temple and was later found in the
water. It was said that the Buddha image itself had wandered out of the temple.
From that time onwards the local people have organized the Um Phra Dam Nahm
Festival, in which they carry the image around town and place it under a tent at
Wat Trai Phum so that Buddhists can pay respect to it by sticking gold leaf onto
it. In the evening prayers are chanted and at night there are various kinds of
entertainment. The next morning the image is taken to be immersed in the Pa Sak
river by the local governor and traditional dances are performed to show respect
to it. After the ceremony the water in the river is regarded as sacred and
people will swim in it and take some water home. The Phra Phutta Maha Dhamma
Racha Buddha image is then taken back to the temple where it resides to ensure
seasonal rain. 回

Common name
for a genus of a parasitic plant, with a yellowish, slender,
filament-like appearance, that reminds of spaghetti or noodles,
especially of
bamih (fig.), and known by the scientific designation Cuscuta. Worldwide, this genus has well over 100 species, found
throughout subtropical and tropical regions. The botanical name for the
species most frequently found in Thailand is Cuscuta reflexa, which is
known by the common names Giant Dodder and Southern Asian Dodder.
Because most species
lack or have very low levels of chlorophyll, they cannot photosynthesize
fully -though Cuscuta reflexa is able to do so slightly- they generally have a yellowish colour.
Although some species are
more orange to reddish-brown and occasionally, though rarely, they may be greenish. This parasitic vine grows fast and
rapidly forms a dense mass of thin,
apparently leafless stems, entwined in the host plant. In fact, many
species do
have leaves, but those are reduced to minuscule scales and barely
visible from a distance. It germinates in the earth, then, after the
part of the germinated seed which later grows into the root dies, it
clings to its host, which may become completely overgrown and from
which it drains sap, giving it the nickname Dracula of the Plants. In Thai, it is
known as khreua bao kham (à¤Ã×Íà¢Ò¤Ó), and in
Isaan as (¼Ñ¡äËÁ).
In addition, it is also nicknamed foi thong
(fig.).
回

A
large, mildly venomous species of arboreal
snake, with the scientific name Boiga cynodon. It can
grow well over 2.5 meters and has a rather vertically flat body, with a
pale yellow to light brown colouration and dark brown or black
crossbars, that become more closely spaced and relatively thicker
towards the tail. The head often has a strong yellow hue and typically,
a black stripe extends from behind the eye to the base of the jaw.
Melanistic specimens are relatively common and occasionally totally
black forms occur. It prefers lowland areas and occurs in southern
Thailand, as well as in
Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the
Philippines. In Thai called
ngu sae haang
mah.回

Thailand's highest mountain. According to a sign on its
summit, this mountain in Chiang Mai province is 2,565.3341 meter high
(map
- fig.).
It is situated in a 482
km² National Park, known as Doi Inthanon
National Park, which also
features the Mae Ya, Mae Klang, Wachirathan and Siriphum waterfalls;
the golden Phra
Mahathat
Naphamethanidon and the silver Phra Mahathat Naphaphonphumisiri
Chedis,
twin pagodas built by the Royal Thai Air Force in honour of the King
and Queen to commemorate their fifth birthday cycles (map
- fig.); the Bori Jinda
cave;
Hmongand Karenhill tribe villages; etc. Being
an interesting place for ornithologists,
the park also has a bird
centre. The second highest mountain of the nation is Doi Pha Hom Pok (ดอยผ้าห่มปก)
with an altitude of 2,297.84 meters. It is situated to the East of
Mae Ai and North of Fang, also in Chiang Mai province.
See
MAP. 回

Thai. Mountain in Chiang Mai on which Phuping summer
palace is situated, and the famous Buddhist temple
Wat Doi Suthep. It has an altitude of about 1,685
meters. The temple is built at a height of around 1,053 meters and
the palace at approximately 1,373 meters. It is part of the
Doi Suthep-Pui
(ดอยสุเทพ-ปุย)
National Park and beside some
good places for bird spotting, it features hiking trails, waterfalls
such as Mok Fah Waterfall (fig.),
caves
of which some have bats(fig.),
and viewpoints. See MAP. 回

Thai. A 1,389 meters high mountain (doi) in
Chiang Raiprovince, named after
tung, i.e. long
ceremonial banners made of cloth (fig.)
and which are typical of the region. The mountain is known as the
location of Wat
PhrathatDoi Tung (fig.),
as well as of Doi Tung Royal Villa, the former home of late Princess
Sri Nagarindra, the Princess
Mother. The villa was initially built as a summer residence and has an
impressive botanical park. Today it is open to the public and houses a
museum dedicated to the Princess Mother's life and work, which includes
royal projects under her patronage, such as the Doi Tung Development
Project for Sustainable Development, established to improve the quality
of life of Thailand's ethnic minorities. See MAP.
回

Thai
name for the Chrysanthemum, a species of flowers with the scientific
name Dendranthemum grandifflora, and of which there are many varieties.
They originate from
China and Japan, and in some parts of
Asia, yellow and white chrysanthemums are boiled to make a kind of tea.
These dried flowers can often be found on markets, sometimes pressed
into flat, circular sheets. Chrysanthemum tea is said to have a wide
variety of medicinal uses. Also known as benjamaht (àº­¨ÁÒÈ) and
sometimes transcribed dok kek huai, or similar.
回

Thai
for ‘garlic chives’, a small plant with thin, straight, onion-flavoured,
tube-like stalks with tiny, white flowers and of the genus Allium, i.e.
the onion family. In the wild it has the botanical name Allium
ramosum,
but cultivated it is bears the scientific designation Allium
tuberosum roxb. Both its flowers and
stalks are used as a garlic-like vegetable in Asian cuisine, and in
Thailand, the stalks are the main ingredient in a dish called phad dok
gui chai sai kung(¼Ñ´´Í¡¡ØÂªèÒÂãÊè¡Øé§), i.e. ‘stir-fried garlic chives with prawns’ (fig.).
Garlic chives are also
consumed as a filling in steamed dumplings, that are made from rice
powder and known as
kanom gui chai (fig.).
The flowering plant is
nicknamed Chinese leek flower and Chinese chives flower, and in China it is called jiu cai hua
(韭菜花). Also dok goo chai.
回

Thai name for the white, edible
flowers of the Hummingbird Tree (fig.), a small
tree with the scientific name Sesbania grandiflora, which are used in
Thai and Asian cuisine, both cooked and raw. The crescent-shaped, flat,
bean-like flower buds can frequently be seen for sale at fresh markets
nationwide. Cooked they are mostly used in curries. Also known by the
common names Vegetable Hummingbird, Sesban, and Agasta. 回

Thai. ‘Cover flower’ or ‘overarching flower’. Term in
kaan jad dokmai, that refers to any type of
usually open flower that overarches the
dok tum, thelowermost flower, that is suspended at the
bottom of a garland, somewaht akin to a calyx. This crown-like flower
sits in between and separates the dok tum and the bunch of stringed
flowers, known as
dok suam. It is part of the
u-ba, the flower bunch, that hangs from
garlands, called
puang malai.
回

Thai
for ‘flower’, ‘bloom’ or ‘blossom’. The term is used for any kind of
flower, both real and artificial, as well as for floral designs. The
term may be shortened to just dok (´Í¡) and is usually specified with an
appendix to indicate the kind of flower one is referring to, e.g.
dok ngiaw,
dok maijan, etc. It is also a prefix for the
word for fireworks which are called dokmai fai
or dokmai phleung (´Í¡äÁéà¾ÅÔ§) in Thai, literally ‘light flowers’ or
‘fire flowers’. A khwaeng
or sub district, part
of the khet Prawet
of Bangkok, is
named Dokmai. 回

Thai. ‘Sea flower’. Thai generic
designation for the Sea Anemone, i.e. a group of predatory
water-dwelling animals belonging to the order Actiniaria, and of which
the English designation is coined on the Anemone, a genus of terrestrial
flowers. 回

Thai. Name of dark orange to red flowers
(fig.)
from the Cotton Tree, a tropical tree known in Thai as
ton ngiw (fig.)
and with the botanical name Bombax ceiba. The tree blooms from January to February, and
from
around mid-February, when the flowers start to fall, the local people
gather to collect them (fig.).
The steamed or blanched petals of its flowers are eaten
like a vegetable with nahm phrik.
Coated with a dough made of corn powder, the petals are
fried and eaten as a snack called dok ngiaw chub paeng thod (´Í¡à§ÕéÂÇªØºá»é§·Í´).
The filaments of the flower's stamen, without the petals or anther (fig.), are used as an ingredient to flavour food
in Thai and oriental cooking. It is used to spice up a dish called nahm ngiaw
which is typically eaten with
kanom jihn and
therefore also called kanom jihn nahm ngiaw.It
is also used as an ingredient in a curry-like soup called kaeng som (á¡§ÊéÁ), perhaps
named after the colour of the curry, or after the colour of the flowers,
as som means ‘orange’. In China, dok ngiaw have long been an ingredient
in Chinese herbal tea. They are said to be very nutritious
and rich in calcium. Also referred to as dok ngiw. 回

Thai. ‘Love flower’. Thai name for the Crown Flower, which is also known as
Giant Indian Milkweed,
an up to four meter
tall shrub with the scientific name Calotropis gigantea. It has clusters
of waxy flowers that can be white (fig.) or purple in colour, and which
consist of five pointed petals and a crown at the centre (fig.). This quadrangular, bell-shaped crown is
typically used as
dok suam to make
u-ba, stringed flower bunches, which in turn are
used to be hung from garlands, called
puang malai, as well as in various
other floral arrangements (fig.), such as with
kreuang khwaen, net or frame-like
arrangements of stringed flowers (fig.),
used as ornaments to suspend at windows, doorways, gables, etc. These
days also synthetic love flowers can be found (fig.).
回

Lao. An fern leaf-like ornament which surmounts temple roofs in Laos. It may
be translated as ‘a bucket of flowers’ and could be compared with the Thai
chofa.​​
Ten or more flowers indicate that a king built the temple. 回

Thai. ‘Flower to dress, wear or put on’. A term for any type of flower
that is used to make a bunch of stringed flowers, which in turn is used
to suspend from a garland or with
kreuang khwaen, decorative net or
frame-like arrangements of stringed flowers (fig.),
used to be hung up at windows, doorways, gables, etc. It is the middle,
stringed flower part, between and attached to the garland, and above the lowermost, usually larger and colourful flower, that is
suspended at the bottom and which is known as
dok tum.
As dok suam, most popularly, dok rak
(fig.)
are used. It is part of the
u-ba, the flower bunch that hangs from
puang malai.
回

Thai. ‘Golden flower’ or ‘flowers of gold’. Slang for a prostitute or
for someone who is sexually promiscuous. A girls virginity or sexuality
is often compared to a flower, like in the fact that in
the AyutthayaPeriod any woman, who was caught
in an act of infidelity or adultery, was put to shame by being made to
wear red
hibiscus
flowers, and in the expression dok mai ruang (´Í¡äÁéÃèÇ§) which
means ‘fallen flower’ and refers to a girl who has lost her virginity. A
golden flower hence refers to the fact that something precious is being
offered, worth ‘its value in gold’. With a prostitute this would involve
a transaction of valuable items, i.e. money. The Thai word for money is
ngun, which literally means ‘silver’. This association of gold and
silver is reminiscent of ton mai ngeun ton mai thong,
the annual tribute of silver and gold trees, that vassal states in the
past were required to pay to the ruling kings, as an indication of their
loyalty. This practice developed into the silver and golden, wooden
flowers and the silver and golden, cone-shaped phum dokmai
flower arrangements, that people offer to royalty today and are put at
their statues or pictures, as an indication of loyalty or ‘submission’. 回

Thai. ‘Knob flower’. Term in
kaan jad dokmai, that refers to the
lowermost, usually larger and colourful flower, that is suspended at the
bottom of a garland. It is part of the
u-ba, the flower bunch, that hangs from
garlands, called
puang malai. It is at the end of
the string of dok suam, yet is separated from it by
the dok khrob, a crown-like flower in
between the dok tum and the bunch of stringed flowers. 回

Thai. Generic name for any kind of land grass, i.e. flowering plants
belonging to the family Gramineae, which is also known as Poaceae,
including large types that can frequently be seen growing along
roadsides, and which might then be referred to as dok yah rim thahng (´Í¡Ë­éÒÃÔÁ·Ò§),
i.e. ‘roadside grass’. Certain species are in Thailand used to make
natural brooms called mai kwaat dok yah (fig.).
Sometimes called just yah (Ë­éÒ), i.e. ‘grass’. 回

Common name for a species of moth, that cannot fly and has the
scientific name Bombyx mori. It has a white, hairy body, with
females being more bulky than males, for they are carrying the eggs.
Furthermore, it has dark, feather-like antennae on the top of its head,
and a wingspan of about 3 to 5 centimeters. The cocoons of its larvae,
i.e. Mulberry Silkworms (fig.),
and its pupae
(fig.), are used in
sericulture.
Both silk, as well as the moths and their larvae, are known in Thai as
mai, with the larvae
sometimes being specified as non mai and the
silk pupae
as tua
mai (fig.),
with the latter in Thai also referred to as dakdae.
The Latin designation Bombyx mori means ‘mulberry silkworm’, and refers
to the main food source of this moth's larvae, i.e. the leaves of the
white mulberry tree (Morus alba). 回

Common name for a 27.5 to 31.5 centimeters tall bird, with the
scientific name Eurystomus orientalis. Adults are dark greenish-brown
above and dark bluish-purple to turquoise below, with a darker breast,
as well as faint light blue streaks on the throat. In addition,
the subspecies Eurystomus orientalis abundus has a blacker crown, nape
and head-sides. The bill is thick and reddish-orange, while the legs and
feet are grayish-pink to red. In flight, a silvery-turquoise patch is
visible on the wings. Juveniles are browner above and have only some or
no turquoise at all on the throat. They have a mostly dark bill and the
head is initially all-brown. It preys on insects and is most commonly
seen as a single bird with a distinctive upright silhouette, perching on
a bare branch high-up in a tree, which it uses as a base from where it
hunts, often catching prey in flight. In English also commonly known by
the names Oriental Dollarbird and Dollar Roller, and in Thai called
nok takaab dong.
It is related to the Indian Roller(fig.)
and its name derives from the from the silvery, circular patches on the
underside of its wings, thought to resemble the American silver dollar coin.
See also WILDLIFE PICTURES.
回

Thai. ‘Highland’ or ‘high ground’. It sometimes appears in place names,
e.g. Don Meuang and
Don Rak. It is also used as an
abbreviated term for sandon,
i.e. ‘bar’ or ‘sandbank’, as in Don Hoy Lot, meaning ‘Razor Clam
Sandbank’. 回

Chinese. Name of an ethnic minority
group in southern China, whose members live mostly in
northern Guangxi (fig.), eastern Guizhou, and western Hunan provinces, while
small pockets of Dong speakers also occur in northern Vietnam. The Dong
are famed for their distinctive architecture, especially a unique kind
of covered bridge known as Wind and Rain Bridge (fig.),
the more famous one being that of Chengyang (map
- fig.), whilst culturally they are renowned for their songs and music, which is
played during festivities and to welcome guests into the
village (fig.). According to custom, the Dong make oil-tea, a kind of greasy
tea with rice, of which purportedly three kinds exist, i.e. a bitter
tea, a sweet version, and sweet-and-sour variety, which are said to
symbolize the three stages in life, i.e. youth, which is bitter since
one is still immature and in need; adult life, which is sweet; and old
age, which may be bitter due to physical problems, but which also has
its memories, which are sweet. When pronounced Tong, the name means
‘ignorant’. According
to their funeral traditions,
the children have to provide
their parents with a coffin before they pass away, in order that the
parents can rest assure that they'll have a decent burial. Hence, houses
of the elderly typically have one or two coffins stored inside the
living quarters, or somewhere else close by. 回

Thai
for ‘to pickle’, an ancient traditional method used to preserve
foodstuffs, by soaking and storing it in vinegar or brine, or sometimes
in oil or lemon juice for fruits and vegetables, a method called Indian
pickle and in which the pickle also serves as a flavour enhancer. Other
traditional methods of preserving fruits and vegetables include kuan(boiling
and stirring),
cheuam (boiled in syrup) and
chae im (soaking in syrup).
回

Chinese. ‘Winter worm, summer grass’. Name for Cordyceps sinensis,
commonly known as caterpillar fungus or vegetable caterpillar (fig.). This parasitic fungus germinates
in living organisms, often the larvae of certain moths, then kills the
host, mummifies it and grows from the dead body. The fungus is used as a
medicinal mushroom in Traditional Chinese medicine. The larvae live
underground for many years before pupating, and are attacked by the
fungus when feeding on roots. The dark brown to black, usually columnar mushroom grows out
of the forehead of the caterpillar and emerges from the ground in spring
or early summer, hence the Chinese designation. The mushrooms with the
mummified caterpillar still attached are hand-collected and highly
prized, but also highly priced. 回

1.
Vietnamese. The centre of Cham art
and culture, which supplanted the city of
My Son, from the time King Indravarman
II built a Mahayana Buddhist monastery there, at the end of the 9th century AD,
thus abandoning the religious traditions of his Shaivist
predecessors. Dong Duong remained the locus of Cham art and culture for less than a century,
and the sculptures of that period are collectively known as Dong
Duong style. 回

1.
Vietnamese. Decorated bronze drums of various types and sizes,
produced for ritual purposes and considered the pinnacle of Southeast Asian art.
In the past, these drums were exported all over Southeast Asia, and
are evidence of ancient trade connections between the Red River
Valley of northern Vietnam, where the drums originated, and other
societies in the region, including
China (fig.),
Siam(fig.),
Java, etc. The bronze drum's surface decorations are recognized as
an icon of Vietnam's cultural heritage and the drum head is hence
used as the national symbol of Vietnamese culture (fig.). Sometimes transliterated Dongson. See also
klong mahoratuk.
回

2. A culture that produced high-quality bronze-work between
500 and 200 BC. 回

Thai. ‘Highland of Love’. Cemetery near the centre of
Kanchanaburi where 6,982 allied soldiers are buried, all victims from WW II, most who
died during the construction of the infamous Death Railway
from Thailand to
Burma. See also
don
and
Chong Kai.
See MAP.
回

Chinese. Term for interlocking brackets used in
ancient Chinese architecture
and originally made from wood, though later also other materials were
used (fig.). They form a structural and ornamental network that joins pillars
and columns to the frame of the roof, both on the inside and the
outside. In Buddhist temples and imperial palaces, their role is often
more decorative than structural, and as such they are usually
elaborately painted in bright colours and adorned with landscapes or
motifs (fig.).
They are fitted together by joinery
alone, using a click and lock system, without the need of glue or nails,
nor wedges.
The concept is uniquely Chinese,
but was adapted by some other nations. The Chinese regard it as an
iconographic symbol of their culture and thus it nowadays also appears
as a freestanding monument, often on a pillar with a historical
reference (fig.). Besides its decorative purpose, a freestanding dougong
column may occasionally also be functional, e.g. doubling as a lamppost
(fig.).
The architect of the China Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai
is said to have been inspired by this traditional feature and building
style, and assimilated it into the iconic pavilion
(map
- fig.).
See also
Kongming Lock.
回

Description for the eyes of a
dragon, which are often
portrayed protruding and globular. Hence, the term has also become an
epithet or nickname used for
anything that is reminiscent of their shape, such as the telescope eyes
of certain goldfish (fig.),
lamyai fruits
(fig.), etc. In
Chinese called
longyan and in Thai known as
tah mangkon. Compare also with the term tah phlohng used
in Thai iconography.
回

Common name for a kind of freshwater
fish, with the scientific designation
Scleropages
formosus, and that is
distributed across Southeast Asia, where it is often found as an
aquarium fish (fig.), believed to be
auspicious due to certain of
its features that resemble those of the
Chinese dragon.
Its habit consists of blackwater rivers, i.e. slow-moving waters that
flow through forested swamps and wetlands. This species is also commonly
known as
Bonytongue, Asian Dragon Fish
and Asian Arowana, and in
Thai it is referred to as pla taphad (»ÅÒµÐ¾Ñ´) and
pla arowana (ปลาอโรวาน่า). There are several kinds of
Dragonfish, including the most common variety Green Arowana (Scleropages
formosus); the Silver Asian (Scleropages macrocephalus), which resembles
the much slimmer Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) from southern
America, which widely occurs in Thailand, but only as a popular aquaria
fish (fig.); the Red Tail Golden Arowana (Scleropages
aureus - fig.),
which in Thai is referred to as Arowana Thong Indonesia (ÍÐâÃÇÒ¹èÒ·Í§ÍÔ¹â´¹Õà«ÕÂ),
i.e. ‘Indonesian Golden Arowana’; the Super Red Arowana (Scleropages
legendrei - fig.), known in Thai as Arowana Nah Daeng Indonesia (ÍÐâÃÇÒ¹èÒá´§ÍÔ¹â´¹Õà«ÕÂ),
i.e. ‘Indonesian Red Face Arowana’;
the Malayan Bonytongue, in Thai called Arowana Nah Thong Malaey (ÍÐâÃÇÒ¹èÒ·Í§ÁÒàÅÂì),
i.e. ‘Malayan Gold Face Arowana’; etc. See
also POSTAGE STAMP.
回

A
Chinese
dragon-deity, who is commonly regarded as
the ruler of the oceans, and who is able to control the waters and the
weather. He lives in an underwater
crystal palace,
from where he commands an army of sea creatures. He is usually depicted
in stately attire, seated on a throne and wearing an emperor's ritual
headdress (fig.),
though he may also appear as a gush of water, such as a tornado over
water. In the classical novel
Journey to the West, four major Dragon Kings are described, each ruling a
sea corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions. In Chinese,
known as Long Wang. See also
Na Zha and Taotie.
回

Common name for a genus of spiny millipedes with the scientific name
Desmoxytes and belonging to the family of Paradoxosomatidae. There
are 24 known species, which are mainly found in Southeast Asia and
whereof nine occur in Thailand,
including the Pink
Dragon Millipede. In
Thai it is called
king keuh
mangkon. 回

A
decorative column, usually small-sized and made of stone, specifically marble, granite, porcelainor
terracotta,
and carved or decorated with
dragonbas-reliefs
(fig.)
and cloud scrolls. In Chineseiconography,
clouds
are considered auspicious and symbolize a desirable destiny, as the
Chinese word for cloud is homophonous with the Chinese word for
‘luckiness’.
It is a characteristic feature in Chinese palace and temple
architecture, and usually lines staircases or tops balustrades of
bridges (fig.)
or those surrounding a building, although it can also be found in a larger size, used as a
decorative support pillar inside a temple building, and with or without
the decorative cloud scrolls (fig.).
Some pillars depict only clouds and no dragons at all, and are hence
referred to as cloud pillars.
回

A
decorative feature often found in Chinese palace and temple
architecture, used to separate the main staircases leading to the
complex. It consists of a large, flat slab, usually made of marble or granite,
and carved with bas-reliefs
depicting ascending
dragonsand
clouds
or cloud scrolls, and sometimes also
fenghuang, the phoenixes or
immortal birds from Chinese mythology (fig.),
which are considered the female counterparts of the male dragons, and as
such embody the female portion of the
yin-yang principle. Represented together they thus
indicate harmony. Staircase slabs are sometimes lined by decorative
dragon pillars (fig.),
and in the
Forbidden City in Beijing (fig.)
there is a 16.5 meters long monolithic slab said to weigh around 250 tonnes (fig.).
回

Epithet for the
Phyllodium longipes, an evergreen, often multi-stemmed shrub native
to southern China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, as well as to
Thailand, where it is known as klet plah and klet lin yai, meaning ‘fish scales’ and
‘long scaly
tongue’ respectively. It grows up to two meters high and is
recognized by its distinctive long, pendant scaly sepals, that
enclose the white to pale yellow flowers (fig.).
回

1. Thai for ‘caterpillar’ (fig.), ‘worm’, ‘grub’, ‘bug’ and ‘weevil’, but
also for ‘beetle’ (fig.),
alongside
malaeng pihk khaeng. With a size of up
to 13 centimeters, the largest beetles in Thailand are the three-horned
beetles, generally known in Thai as
kwahng sahm
khao, and in English commonly referred to as Atlas
Beetles. They belong to the genus Chalcosoma, which includes the species
Chalcosoma caucasus, Chalcosoma atlas and Chalcosoma mollenkampi. See
also non.
回

2.
Thai. Name for a two-stringed instrument made from
bamboo, also called
so duang. 回

3.
Thai. A kind of a sweetmeat, made in the shape of a grub and filled with
a jam-like paste of fruit, often
pineapple.
Also called kanomduang (¢¹Á´éÇ§). 回

4.
Thai. A kind of animal snare or trap, made from a joint of
bamboo. 回

Thai. Literally ‘yellow antelope
pliers-beetle’. Name for a kind of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae,
with the scientific name Hexarthrius parryi deyrollei.It is found in Thailand, and Malaysia. Derived from its Thai
common name, it could in English be referred to as Yellow Antelope Beetle. 回

Thai.
Literally ‘old grooved pliers-beetle’, yet sometimes described as ‘Old-sculptured
Stag Beetle’. Name for a common, small-sized species of stag beetle with the scientific name Aegus
chelifer chelifer, and that belongs to the family Lucanidae. Males are
overall black, whereas females are slightly lighter, almost grey in
colour. Its shield-like, protective wing caps, called elytra, have small
grooves along the length, whereas its head and pronotum, i.e. the dorsal
front part of the thorax, have tiny indentations that, due to light and
especially in juveniles, may look somewhat like silvery spots. Its
clawed legs are covered in multiple barbs and hooks. Like most stag
beetles, the males have well-developed, distinctive mandibles, which in this
species are strongly curved horizontally and which are much smaller in females, who
have a somewhat wider and more oval shaped, yet smaller body. This
species also possess two feather tipped antennae that are bent in the
middle (fig.). Though
these beetles are generally around 2-3 centimeters long, some may grow
to a length of nearly 4 centimeters. They occur in India,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines and in Thailand, where it can
often be found in small gardens, even in Bangkok. 回

Thai. ‘Tilted-ass beetle’. Name for a 6-10 millimeter small Rove Beetle,
that belongs to the subfamily Paederinae, so named because these
beetles’ haemolymph contains pederin, a potent toxin which is released
when the beetle brushes against the skin. This toxic is highly
irritating and can cause severe blistering of the skin. It is
purportedly more potent than cobra venom and when it comes in contact with the eyes it
could cause blindness. The species found in Thailand is known by the
scientific name Paederus fuscipes. The Thai name is descriptive of this
beetle's raised posterior. These beetles are black and orange-brown
in colour, i.e. the head, frontal abdomen and posterior end are black,
and the prothorax and the middle of the abdomen are orange-brown. They
have three pairs of legs which are each coloured alternately
orange-brown and black. 回

Thai
for ‘Christmas beetle’, a beetle of the genus Anoplognathus, which
includes several different species. The name Christmas beetle derives
from Australia, because there they are abundant around Christmas, in the
southern hemisphere's summer months. Christmas beetles have a glossy,
often metallic elytra (the hardened forewings that give beetles their
Thai name, i.e.
malaeng pihk khaeng), pronotum (the
dorsal front part of the thorax) and clypeus (the hardened
body part that makes up the face), as well as clawed legs that are covered in multiple
barbs. 回

Thai. ‘Trunk beetle’. Generic name for any kind of weevil, a species of
generally small beetles, which worldwide has over 60,000 genera in
several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae, which members are
also known as the true weevils or snout beetles (fig.),
due to the trunk-like
muzzle characteristic of most weevils. Many species
also have geniculate, i.e. L-shaped, antennae with
small clubs. In Thai Also called
mod. 回

Thai. ‘Rice weevil’. Name for a species of weevil (duang nguang),
with the scientific designation Sitophilus oryzae, and a known pest that attacks
stored rice (khao),
i.e. khao san, as
well as other stored cereal crops. It is very tiny, measuring only about 2
millimeters (fig.).
Its colour is overall blackish-brown, with four vague, reddish-orange spots
arranged in a cross, on the wing covers. Its body also has punctures, tiny
indentations that, due to light, may look somewhat like whitish to silvery
spots. The female rice weevil uses strong mandibles to make a hole into a grain
kernel, where she then deposits a single egg and then seals. The larva develops
within the grain, hollowing it out whilst feeding, and about two to four days
later pupates and emerges. Females lay between two and six eggs per day and up
to 300 eggs over their lifetime. Rice weevils may live for up to 2 years. Also
known as mod khao san. 回

Thai. ‘Long-whiskered Beetle’. Generic name for any species of
long-horned beetle in the family Cerambycidae, that also occurs in
Thailand and and of which there are many varieties, including the
species Macrochenus isabellinus (fig.),
Diastocera wallichi
tonkinensis (fig.),
Macrotoma crenata, Meriodeda melichroos, Mesosa similis, Misphila
curvinea, Monochamus punctifrons, Niphona rondoni, etc.
回

Thai. ‘Long-whiskered Zebra-necked Beetle’. Name for a kind of
long-horned beetle, with the scientific name Macrochenus isabellinus (fig.) and belonging to the family Cerambycidae.
It is mostly pale yellow with pink and has black dots on its
elytra, whilst the prothorax and the head both have black stripes.
Its long antennae and legs are greyish black. It occurs in mainland
Southeast Asia en southern
China. See also WILDLIFE PICTURES. 回

Chinese. ‘Cut sleeve’. A slang term for ‘gay’ or ‘homosexual’, that
derives from a story of the gay emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin),
who favoured the minor official Dong Xian. Their relationship is
referred to as , duan xiu zhi pi (斷袖之癖) meaning
‘the passion of the cut
sleeve’, after a story that one afternoon, after falling asleep for a
nap on the same bed, the emperor cut off his sleeve rather than disturb
the sleeping Dong Xian, when he had to get out of bed. In
Pinyin duàn xiù.
回

Chinese.
‘Multi-hearing deity’, ‘lord who hears all’ or the ‘god that hears
everything’. Name of one of the Four Heavenly Kings,
i.e. the
King of the North. He is also King of the
Yakshas and
rules over the continent of Uttarakuru from his palace of crystal. He correspondents with the Indian
lokapalaKubera
or Vaisravana,and is actually the leader of
the Four Heavenly Kings. Sometimes he is depicted alone, but
represents all four.
In Chinese tradition, his
attributes are
either an umbrella, which symbolizes
his protection
of the
Dharma,
or a Chinese halberd known as ji
and a
pagoda (fig.).
Compare with Thien Khuyen,
the Vietnamese Judge of the Heavens (fig.). 回

Sanskrit.
‘Inaccessible’. A form of Devi,
Shiva's
consort, who is usually portrayed with multiple arms and riding one
of her vehicles known as
vahana
(fig.),
i.e. a
tiger
(fig.) or
a lion
(fig.). In Javanese and Indian art,
she is frequently depicted in her form as
Mahishasuramardini, slaying the
buffalo demon
Mahishasura with
divine weapons (fig.), and in Nepal she may be depicted with multiple arms,
four heads and wearing a garland of human heads (fig.).
回

A fruit of the genus
Durio of which different variations exist,
such as mon thong, kahn yao, krathum thong, eekop, eeruang, kampan and chanie.
Its fruiting season is from May to September. It is native to
Southeast Asia where it is known as the ‘king of
fruits’. The fruit has a
hard shell with sharp pikes (fig.) and a pungent, penetrating scent.
The local people say it smells like hell but tastes like heaven,
nevertheless it is banned
from most Thai hotels (fig.). The vanilla
coloured flesh of fruit
(fig.)
sits around large bean-shaped pits and has an unique taste, considered a real
delicacy by the locals. However, caution
should be exercised when eating the fruit, as they have a high calorific value
and excessive consumption in close
succession could be harmful.
Nutritional analysis of durians by the Nutrition Division of the Department of
Health shows that different species of durian have different energy values,
ranging from 181 calories per 100 grams for long-stemmed durians to 129 calories
for kradum durians and in the case of candied durians, the calorific value is as
high as 340 calories. This means
for example that a 2 kilogram mon thong durian -one of the most popular varieties- with a
peeled weight of around 600 grams would give a total of around 978 calories. It
is thus advisable to eat no more than two segments of durian a day. Customary
practice is to combine the consumption of the ‘king of fruits’ with
mangosteen,
the ‘queen of fruits’, as the latter lowers the body
temperature and helps prevent stomach aches after durian
consumption. Durians, usually the of the mon thong kind, are also made into a popular snack of fried chips and even
into a paste (fig.),
called either durian cake or
durian paste, but some
say it tastes best fresh, mixed with sticky rice and coconut milk.
In Thai thurian.
回

Thai. Name of a hall
in
Chitralada
Villa, the Royal Residence of King
Bhumipon Adunyadet
at
Dusit
Palace, usually referred to as
Sala
Dusidalai, and in English as Dusidalai
Pavilion
or Dusidalai Hall.回

1.
Sanskrit-Thai. ‘Satisfied’ of ‘fulfilled’. The term refers to the heaven above Mt. Meru where the bodhisattvas await their last existence on earth,
prior to the anchern jut.
It is one of the highest heavens in Buddhist cosmology, and the heaven in which
the bodhisattva who would later become the Buddha was reborn,
after gaining sufficient merit in previous lives. It is the last place where he
stayed before being born as prince Siddhartha, as well as the heaven where the
futureMaitreyabuddha dwells. In Hinduism it is the fourth heaven.
Also Tusitaand Tushita. 回

3. Sanskrit-Thai. Name of
the
Royal Palace in Bangkok, which includes Phra
Tihnang Amphon Sathaan (fig.),
where Crown
Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn
was born.
Officially, the building is today no longer inhabited and has been used
as a shrine for important statues and Buddha images,
after
his King Bhumipon Adunyadet
took up residence in Chitralada Palace,
the King's de facto primary residence and officially a part of the Dusit
Palace.
However, the palace was restored and when around 2014, the Standard (fig.)
of
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn can
occasionally be seen flying from the flagpole in the inner court, there
are rumours that he might have moved from his official residence, i.e.
the Sukhothai Palace.回

The
oldest zoo of Thailand, created in 1895 by king
Rama V, initially as his private botanical garden. It is
built adjacent to Dusit royal palace, at a spot locally known as khao din wa-nah,
which means
‘earthen forest hill’. It is about 118
rai
large and forma an oasis of green in the capital, complete with a huge
lake. On 3 January 1900, king Rama V presented the visiting prince
Vladimir of Denmark with a
teak
tree and a stone inscription in his botanical
garden, as a tribute to his visit to
Siam (fig.).
After the king's death, the garden was left unattended for many years,
until March 1938, when the government under Phibun Songkramasked king
Rama VIII
permission to convert the domain into a public zoo. The young
king, then still a student in Switzerland, consequently handed it over
to the Bangkok City Municipality and in addition donated a number
animals from the palace for public exhibition, including some Spotted
Deer or Axis Deer (Axis axis), the offspring of animals brought back
from Indonesia by king Rama V, when he visited Java in 1908. The Bangkok
City Municipality administered the zoo until 1954, after which it was
transferred to the state Zoological Park Organization, which also
operates most other major zoos in the country. Today, the zoo is said to
contain about 1,340 animals and attract 2.5 million visitors annually.
It remains under royal patronage and members of the royal family have
donated a number animals for public exhibition, including a unique white
Barking Deer (fig.).
In Thai known as Suan Sat Dusit,
but by the local population usually called khao din, short for khao din
wa-nah. See MAP. 回

A species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family
with the scientific name Trachypithecus obscurus. It occurs from India
to
Malaysiaand Laos,
and in Thailandit is found on the
southern peninsula, e.g. on the island archipelago of
Moo Koh Angthong
in Surat Thani
(fig.),
in Khao Sahm Roi Yot National Park
in Prachuap Khirikhan,
Kaeng Krajahn National Park in Phetchaburi (fig.),
etc. It is a species of
leaf-eating monkey and hence spends most
of its time in trees, especially in the
middle and upper canopies of the forest. Adults have dark gray to black
fur with lighter grey on their chests and the top of their heads. They
have a black face with bristly hairs at the eyebrows, white circles
around the eyes and white skin at their mouth.It is somewhat similar to the
Phayre's Leaf Monkey (fig.), but
has a darker fur. The
Dusky Leaf Monkey
is a kind of langur
and is
sometimes referred to as the Spectacled Langur or
Spectacled Leaf Monkey, referring to the
white rings around their eyes, that somewhat resemble spectacles
(fig.).
The word langur comes from Hindi and means ‘long-tailed’. Interestingly, when born, infants have an orange coat and change to the
adult grey-black colour by the age of nine months. In Thai this species is called
kaang waen thin tai.
回

Sanskrit.
‘Janitor’. A guardian of a temple entrance
(fig.),
often holding a weapon (fig.), usually a club or mace (gada).
In Thai, the term for dvarapala is
thawaanbaan,
which derives from the Pali words thawaan and paan (»ÒÅ), which mean
‘door’ or ‘gate’, and ‘to look after’ or ‘to guard’, respectively.
The term thawaanbaan often refers to any of the giant or demon, i.e.
yakguardians, found at entrances (fig.).
The
Four Heavenly KingsSi Tian Wang of
Mahayana Buddhism and also found in
Taoism,
are considered Chinese-style dvarapala. See also
darwaza.
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Sanskrit. ‘Twice-born’. Members of any of three upper
castes, i.e. the three twice-born
classes of the
Brahman,
Kshatriya and
Vaishya, whereas members of the
Shudra,
the lowest class, are considered to have been born just only once and to
have no second birth. Besides this, the term is also used for any
Aryan. 回